Remember when the evening news almost every night showed chaotic scenes at the southern border? Thousands of people rushing past overwhelmed agents, makeshift camps, and politicians arguing while the numbers kept climbing? Yeah, those days feel almost surreal now.
Last month something remarkable happened that barely made a ripple in the headlines. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded the lowest number of border encounters in modern history for the month of November. We’re talking numbers so low they would have been laughed off as impossible just two years ago.
A Complete Reversal in Just One Year
Let’s put this in perspective. In December 2023 – not that long ago – the country saw over 302,000 border encounters in a single month. That was the peak, the absolute breaking point everyone was talking about. Fast-forward to this November, and the total nationwide encounters dropped to 30,367. That’s a 90% plus decline in less than two years.
And it’s not just one good month. October and November combined mark the lowest opening to any fiscal year on record. Only 60,940 encounters for the first two months. In my lifetime following these numbers, I’ve never seen anything like it.
What the Daily Numbers Actually Look Like Now
Here’s the stat that really stopped me in my tracks: the southwest border is now averaging around 245 apprehensions per day. That works out to roughly 10 people per hour across the entire 2,000-mile border. Ten. Per hour.
Compare that to the previous administration’s average of 5,110 daily encounters between 2021 and 2024, and you start to grasp how dramatic the shift has been. At the worst point in late 2023, agents were dealing with 336 apprehensions per hour. Today that would represent more than an entire day’s total.
“Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes.”
– Secretary of Homeland Security
Zero Releases – Seventh Month Running
Perhaps even more telling than the raw encounter numbers is what happens after someone is apprehended. For seven straight months now, not a single person caught crossing illegally has been released into the United States with a court date years in the future. Every single case is processed according to law – detention, expedited removal, or return to Mexico.
That policy alone has changed everything. Word travels fast. When the consequence of crossing illegally is immediate return rather than eventual release, the calculus for would-be migrants changes overnight.
Drug Seizures Are Heading in the Opposite Direction
While illegal crossings have plummeted, something else has been climbing dramatically: drug interdictions. In November alone, authorities seized nearly 55,000 pounds of narcotics nationwide – a 33% jump from October.
The breakdown is eye-opening:
- Fentanyl: 1,543 pounds (up 59%)
- Methamphetamine: 21,935 pounds (up 118%)
- Cocaine: 8,240 pounds (up 40%)
Think about that for a second. With dramatically fewer people crossing, agents are finding more drugs. That tells you two things: the cartels haven’t given up, and our people at the border are now able to focus on actual enforcement rather than processing endless waves of asylum claims.
I’ve spoken with retired Border Patrol agents who spent decades in the field, and every one of them says the same thing: when you’re not overwhelmed with bodies, you can do the real job – finding the drugs, the criminals, the actual threats.
The Human Element Behind the Numbers
It’s easy to get lost in statistics, but these aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. Every prevented illegal crossing represents someone who won’t be exploited by cartels, who won’t make that dangerous journey through the desert, who won’t disappear into the underground economy.
And on the flip side, every pound of fentanyl that doesn’t make it to American streets represents lives saved. The CDC estimates over 100,000 Americans die from drug overdoses each year, with fentanyl being the primary killer. Those 1,543 pounds seized in November alone? That’s potentially tens of thousands of lives.
How Did We Get Here?
The turnaround didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of a complete philosophical shift in how the border is managed. Where previous approaches often prioritized processing speed over enforcement, the current approach flips that script entirely.
Key changes that made the difference:
- Ending catch-and-release policies
- Full implementation of expedited removal
- Aggressive cooperation with Mexico on returns
- Increased consequences for illegal entry
- Targeting of criminal organizations rather than just individuals
Perhaps most importantly, the message got out: the border is no longer open. That single change in perception has done more than any wall or technology ever could.
What This Means Going Forward
The November numbers aren’t just a victory lap – they’re proof of concept. They show that when you treat border security as actual security rather than a processing center, dramatic results are possible.
And the work continues. Authorities recently located nearly 30,000 children who had gone missing from sponsorship after being released under previous policies. ICE operations continue to target criminal aliens – over 1,500 arrests in Texas alone last month.
The border isn’t “fixed” – no one serious claims that. Cartels adapt, new routes open, pressures in Central America remain. But for the first time in years, the United States has control of its own border rather than the other way around.
Sometimes progress isn’t loud. It doesn’t come with dramatic press conferences or viral videos. Sometimes it just looks like empty desert where there used to be chaos, and agents doing their jobs instead of playing catch-and-release.
And honestly? That quiet might be the most profound change of all.
